Preview: Rangers vs. Livingston - prediction, team news, lineups

The Gers currently sit second in the table, two points behind leaders Celtic, while the Lions are 10 points and four places further back in sixth spot.

Match preview

While Rangers have endured a disappointing Champions League campaign to date, losing all four group-stage matches and conceding 16 goals in the process, the Gers have fared much better on the domestic front this term, winning 10 and drawing one of their 12 games in all competitions.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side followed up a 2-1 Premiership win away at Motherwell last weekend with a slender 1-0 victory in the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals at home against Dundee, courtesy of a first-half header from Steven Davis.

A semi-final tie with Aberdeen at Hampden Park awaits Rangers in the middle of January, and they will now turn their focus back to the Premiership where they remain in a battle with Glaswegian rivals Celtic for top spot.

The Gers could find themselves five points behind Celtic before facing Livingston, with the Hoops taking on Hearts in the lunchtime kickoff, so there will be an element of pressure to come away with maximum points in front of the Ibrox faithful.

However, Van Bronckhorst's side will be confident of success this weekend as they have won all five Premiership matches on home soil so far this season, scoring 16 goals and conceding only once, while they have also won 12 of their last 13 top-flight meetings with Livingston, including each of their last seven in succession.

After suffering back-to-back league defeats against St Mirren and Ross County, Livingston bounced back with a narrow 1-0 home victory against St Johnstone last weekend.

Summer signing Dylan Bahamboula scored his first goal for the Lions 10 minutes before half time and they eventually held on to claim their fifth league win of the campaign.

Indeed, Livingston have experienced an inconsistent season so far, winning and losing five Premiership games each, but they have picked up five more points than at this stage last season and they are only two points behind Hibernian in third place with a game in hand.

David Martindale's men may struggle to leapfrog the Edinburgh outfit within the next two weeks, however, as they face the daunting task of back-to-back fixtures against Old Firm giants Rangers and Celtic.

The Lions can take confidence from their most recent meeting with Rangers on the opening day of this season, despite losing 2-1 on home soil. Jon Nouble opened the scoring in the fifth minute and the West Lothian side frustrated the Gers until two strikes within two second-half minutes from Scott Arfield and James Tavernier turned the game on its head for the visitors.

Livingston's chance of gaining revenge against Rangers at Ibrox appears to the be slim, however, as they have lost each of their last 13 top-flight away matches against the Glaswegian giants, conceding 35 goals in the process.

Rangers Scottish Premiership form:

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Rangers form (all competitions):

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Livingston Scottish Premiership form:

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Livingston form (all competitions):

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Team News

Rangers' treatment room is still full to the brim, with Connor Goldson (thigh), Ryan Jack (calf), Tom Lawrence (knee), John Souttar (ankle), Filip Helander (foot), Ianis Hagi (ACL) and Nnamdi Ofoborh (heart condition) all out with long-term issues.

However, the Gers were boosted by the return of striker Kemar Roofe on Wednesday, who came off the bench to make his first appearance since the Europa League final defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in May. Roofe is expected to begin as a substitute again this weekend, with either Alfredo Morelos or Antonio Colak set to lead the line.

Allan McGregor, Ben Davies, Borna Barisic, Scott Arfield and Ryan Kent were all dropped to the bench in midweek as Van Bronckhorst rotated his starting lineup, but the quintet are expected to be recalled to face Livingston.

As for the visitors, Tom Parkes remains out with a long-term knee injury, while Stephane Omeonga, Jamie Brandon and Esmael Goncalves are all doubtful and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.

After coming off the bench in each of the last three games following a spell out with an ankle problem, Bruce Anderson will be hoping to force his way into the starting lineup ahead of Kurtis Guthrie, while Jack Fitzwater could return at centre-back at the expense of Sean Kelly.

Rangers possible starting lineup:

McGregor; Tavernier, Sands, Davies, Barisic; Davis; Wright, Arfield, Lundstram, Kent; Colak

Livingston possible starting lineup:

George; Devlin, Fitzwater, Obileye, Montano; Shinnie, Holt, Pittman; Bahamboula, Anderson, Nouble

We say: Rangers 2-0 Livingston

With a number of key players set to return to the starting lineup on Saturday, Rangers will be regarded as strong favourites to come away with all three points against Livingston.

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